Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #56, March 29, 2004

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3616989 miket@pl.net Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3765994 bern@ihug.co.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to gpja@xtra.co.nz

CONTENTS 1) What's On in Auckland 2) Messages: Fast Food campaign; Peace Foundation Financial Controller needed; New web page of Race, Privilege and the Treaty; Petition against so-called "War on Terrorism"; Appeal from Iraqi Trade Unions; Petition on Western Sahara; Chomsky on Haiti coup; Israel/Palestine; Afghanistan; Venezuela; Rwanda; East Timor 3) Best on the Web: Antiwar action in NZ and world; Iraq war; US empire; US support for terrorism;

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Tuesday, March 30, 7.00pm, Freemans Bay Community Centre, 52 Hepburn St, Freemans Bay Stop this proposed sale of OUR waterfront assets! Let's build the public pressure and demand that our public assets are protected! Who is supposed to be looking after the public interest?????????? Remember! It's election year!

Sunday, April 4, 3pm, Manaia Room, Auckland Museum "Vietnam: The last Battle", dir: John Pilger, 1995, dur 60 mins. Film as part of Museum Vietnam exhibition. "On 30 April 1975, the longest war this century in Vietnam came to a close. This film connects the past and present in Vietnam, illustrating the sacrifices and hardship its people endure through the structural adjustments imposed by forces in the global economy."

Monday, April 5, 9.30am, AUT Conference Room, WA Block, Wellesley Street Campus. BOOK LAUNCH "as Mothers of the Land" The birth of the Bougainville Women for Peace and Freedom, edited by Josephine Sirivi and Marilyn Havini. Speakers Josephine Sirivi and Sam Kauona. "as Mothers of the Land tells the story of one of the deadliest crises of the last decades - the Bougainville conflict-and the peace process that followed. Not through the eyes of politicians or military leaders, but through the personal accounts of Bougainville aboriginal women whose commitment and determination played a crucial part in the resolution of the conflict. AUT Office for Pasifika Advancement and WILPF Contact Joan Macdonald joanmac@pl.net ph (09) 360 8001

Monday, April 5, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. Global Peace and Justice Auckland Public Meeting Speakers Josephine Sirivi and Sam Kauona about the book "as Mothers of the Land" and the situation in Bougainville. Contact gpja@xtra.co.nz ph John Minto (09) 846 3173

Until April 10, Artstation, 1 Ponsonby Road

ANTI-WAR ART EXHIBITION entitled "Kill War" Works by: Jarad Bryant, Jon Carapiet, Bruce Mahalski. Opening: 5-7 pm Tuesday 23 March. This exhibition presents a series of work inspired by recent world events, which questions our culpability for the continuing violence in our society. Aspects of 21st century life and culture are examined as possible contributing factors to our continued acceptance of violent solutions on a crowded and fragile planet that can no longer afford to sustain such destructive luxuries. The ingenuousness and doublespeak of 'The War on Terror' are highlighted and suggestions are made for more positive 'wars' in the future.

Saturday 24th April, 9:30am,St Columba Centre, Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland Quality Public Education Coalition Forum/AGM. TOPIC: "How important is the social context in which education takes place today?" See QPEC website for more details: www.qpec.org.nz

Sunday, May 2, 3pm, Manaia Room, Auckland Museum "Vietnam the New Zealand Story" 150 mins in partnership with NZTV Archive. NZ's participation in the Vietnam War is examined through rare historic footage and interviews with high-level players from both the government and the peace movement.

Sunday, May 16, 3pm, Manaia Room, Auckland Museum "Vietnam Under Fire". How do the Vietnamese of the 90s feel about the war and its effect on their country?

Sunday, June 6, 3pm, Manaia Room, Auckland Museum "Uncle Ho and Uncle Sam", BBC 60 mins. This film looks at the alliance between the CIA and Ho Chi Minh during the Japanese occupation of Vietnam.

Until June 6, Auckland War Memorial Museum VIETNAM EXHIBITION TO SHOW BOTH SIDES OF CONFLICT. A collection of startling, never-before-published images of the Vietnam War by North Vietnamese photographers. It will be accompanied by "Vietnam - A Kiwi Snapshot" an exhibition presenting New Zealanders' memories of power politics, protest and the sacrifice made by our own soldiers in this unpopular war. "Another Vietnam: Pictures of the War from the Other Side," presents over 100 evocative black-and-white photographs by North Vietnamese soldier-photographers who risked their lives to capture their country's struggle. Many perished - nine out of 10 did not survive. For the North Vietnamese photographers, their images were used to win the war, and they considered their work a powerful weapon. Their photographs offer a new perspective on this divisive conflict and show scenes of battle and of daily life from the perspective of the North Vietnamese: elephants moving materiel down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, an impromptu operating room in a mangrove swamp and American prisoners of war at the Hanoi Hilton. "Another Vietnam" is based on a book by photographer Tim Page, who returned to Vietnam to find his Vietcong counterparts, 20 years after he first covered the war as a young photographer for United Press International. The exhibition is co-produced by the National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall, Washington, and the International Center of Photography, New York. "Vietnam - A Kiwi Snapshot, includes photography by frontline Kiwi soldiers and documentary film footage. $8 adults, $6 concessions.

December 2-5, Massey University, Albany An International Interdisciplinary Conference on Restorative Justice to be held at Centre for Justice and Peace Development Massey University Albany Auckland. "NEW FRONTIERS IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: ADVANCING THEORY AND PRACTICE" Since its modest beginnings some 30 years ago, restorative justice has grown into an international movement for the promotion of collaborative and peacemaking approaches to conflict resolution. It has had an impact on judicial thought and practice in many countries, as evident, for example, in New Zealand's recent sentencing and parole legislation. Now, as it moves into its second generation, restorative justice faces new frontiers. How are restorative values and standards of practice to be defined and enforced? How should restorative justice operate in cases of domestic violence and sexual offending? What implications does restorative justice have for police culture and practice? Is restorative justice able to deal with human rights abuses or the land grievances of indigenous peoples? And does restorative justice have anything to say about the "war on terrorism" and the appeal of religious violence? This interdisciplinary conference will explore how restorative justice theory and practice may develop to meet challenges such as these. To express interest in attending and/or to offer a presentation email newfrontiers@massey.ac.nz or write to Dr. Warwick Tie, Centre for Justice and Peace Development, School of Social and Cultural Studies, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, North Shore MSC, Auckland. Closing date for the submission of abstracts is the 31st May 2004. Conference URL: http://justpeace.massey.ac.nz/

MESSAGES

REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER FOR FAST FOOD UNIONISATION CAMPAIGN

Recently Unite Workers Union launched a "fast food campaign" which aims to unionise workers in the fast food industry in New Zealand. We have been signing up workers at Restaurant Brands (Call Centre, KFC, Pizza Hut) and Burger King. On the weekend of Friday April 24 to Sunday April 26 we hope to mobilise a large group of volunteers across the country to visit as many of the 62 Burger King Stores as possible (although some centres will be starting earlier than that). Volunteers can also "adopt" a local store to visit several times and talk to the workers about joining. PLEASE REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER BY EMAILING help@unite.org.nz or phoning the Unite office 0800 2 UNITE or (09) 361 6990. We will contact you discuss how you can help. Every little bit helps.

PEACE FOUNDATION FINANCIAL CONTROLLER NEEDED

Qualified accountant required for part-time financial control/ management position with non-governmental organisation. Preferably with New Zealand accounting and not-for-profit experience. Approximately 15 hours per week. Apply to Wendy John, The Peace Foundation - Ph 09-373-2379, email peace@fps.pl.net or write to PO Box 4110, Auckland.

'RACE', 'PRIVILEGE', AND 'THE TREATY' - NEW WEB PAGE ON THE PMA WEB SITE -

- which is at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/priv.htm It is a collection of resources and comment relevant to the so-called 'race debate'. Now the page is finally (!) on-line, it will be updated regularly - if you have anything you'd like to add to it, please send your contributions to email pma@xtra.co.nz And please feel free to forward this message on to others who may be interested in the material on the page, or contributing to it.

The PMA foreshore and seabed information page at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/fsinfo.htm has also been updated in the past couple of days.

PETITION - THE End NZ support for the 'war on terrorism' - is now available online. There is a link to it from the Global Day of Action page at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/20mar04.htm or you can go directly to it at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/pet03041.pdf The petition is to the NZ government calling on it to end its military and political support for the US government-led 'war on terrorism', and to recall all NZ military personnel who are involved in it. The final deadline for return of signatures on this petition is 30 June 2004, but it is likely that there will be at least one presentation to parliament before then so early return of signatures would be great. Printed petition forms are also available from Peace Movement Aotearoa - email pma@xtra.co.nz saying how many you require, and include the physical address to mail them to.

IRAQI UNIONS NEED YOUR HELP - AGAIN

Many of you will remember that in early December, U.S. troops raided the headquarters of the Iraqi Federation of Workers Trade Unions (IFTU). During the raid, the troops sealed the building -- and today, more than 3 months later, the building is still sealed. The emerging democratic, independent trade union movement in Iraq is working without a headquarters, without office equipment, and without funds. Today, as in December, they are appealing to us to help. The IFTU has a website in English and Arabic and as of today, it has a facility for you to make donations online, securely, using your credit cards. You can see this by going to their site at http://www.iraqitradeunions.org/ and clicking on "Make a donation" in the upper right corner. If every individual reading this message were to send just $10 or £5 to the IFTU, the organization would be enormously strengthened -- and it would be able to get on with the job of building a free and independent trade union movement in Iraq. Please give generously. Thanks. Eric Lee, Labour Start http://www.labourstart.org/

PETITION ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF WESTERN SAHARA.

Request of support: In the face of the media campaign that is being conducted by the Moroccan press against Mr. Ali Salem Tamek and the Saharawi activists of human rights, we, the undersigned, reaffirm our support and solidarity with the Saharawi activists of human rights who are fighting for the respect of their rights, particularly the right to free expression. We also denounce the intimidating practices endured by those activists of human rights and warn against any reprisals that may be carried out against them http://www.afapredesa.org/formularios/formulario.php

BEST ON THE WEB

ANTIWAR ACTION

Auckland: Demands Made For NZ Military To Withdraw From Iraq http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00228.htm

Wellington http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00242.htm

Over one million march for Iraq pullout http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=480 020§ion=news

100,000 at New York City rally http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ct--anti-warprotest0320mar20,0, 2490614.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

IRAQ WAR

John Pilger: A Year later http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=5192

Pilger: universal justice is not a dream http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=5193

Naomi Klein: Who is going to stop them http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=55&mo de=thread&order=0&thold=0

Engineering consent: The NYT role in promoting war with Iraq http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5931.htm

Day by day, death by death: A Chronology of U.S. Military Fatalities Since

'Mission Accomplished' http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0412/harkavy.php British troops are said to have killed 23 innocent Iraqis, and yet the British people and government remain silent http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/comment/0,12956,1169399,00.html

A NEW EMPIRE?

Chalmers Johnson on Empire OR why things that can't go on forever don't http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/28/news-callahan.php

US SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM

Terrorists 'helped by CIA' to stop rise of left in Italy : US intelligence services instigated and abetted rightwing terrorism in Italy during the 1970s, a former Italian secret service general has claimed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,462976,00.html

US Afghan allies committed massacre http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1174554,00.html Defending democracy: Russell Brown's Hard News

The stories of the so-called Guantanamo Five - the five Britons returned to their home country after two years at Camp X-Ray last week - haven't been big news here, but they make for extremely disturbing reading... http://publicaddress.net/default,1082.sm#post1082

HAITI COUP - MADE IN USA

Noam Chomsky Analyses The Haiti Coup

Those who have any concern for Haiti will naturally want to understand how its most recent tragedy has been unfolding. See... Noam Chomsky: US-Haiti, An Analysis [1] . See also... Aristide Demands White House Coup Investigation [2] [1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00182.htm [2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00165.htm

ISRAEL/PALESTINE

Two states, too little, too late: In attempting to take it all by force, successive Israeli governments killed the two-state solution, leaving only the principled, just, democratic and counter-Zionist one-state solution left, writes Haim Bresheeth http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/681/op61.htm

The International Laws of Belligerent Occupation: By Professor Francis Boyle, As matters of fact and of law, the gross and repeated violations of Palestinian rights by the Israeli army and Israeli settlers living illegally in occupied Palestine constitute war crimes. Conversely, the Palestinian People are defending themselves and their Land and their Homes against Israeli war crimes and Israeli war criminals, both military and civilian. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5936.htm Palestine is now part of an arc of Muslim resistance: Across the Middle East, western-backed occupations are fuelling terror http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1177404,00.html

Robert Fisk: The man who knew too much: He was drugged, kidnapped and locked up for 18 years after revealing Israel's nuclear secrets to the world. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5938.htm

AFGHANISTAN

Silent Genocide: "After the Americans destroyed our village and killed many of us, we also lost our houses and have nothing to eat. However, we would have endured these miseries and even accepted them, if the Americans had not sentenced us all to death." http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5941.htm

Video: Convoy of Death: Why have US television stations refused to broadcast this documentary? In Afghanistan, filmmaker Jamie Doran has uncovered evidence of a massacre: Taliban prisoners of war suffocated in containers, shot in the desert under the watch of American troops. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article3267.htm

VENEZUELA

Misreporting Venezuela http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00255.htm

RWANDA

US warned about Rwanda genocide: Newly declassified documents show that the United States knew in advance that the 1994 Rwandan genocide was likely to happen but nevertheless insisted that United Nations peacekeepers should be withdrawn. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1502708.stm

EAST TIMOR

East Timor: Australia's double betrayal http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/576/576p24.htm

Mike

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